Cross posting from Arlene Kushner https://www.arlenefromisrael.info
One of the arguments made against application
of sovereignty is that it will cause a “conflagration” – greatly increased
violence by Palestinian Arabs in Judea & Samaria.
Maybe a new intifada.
These threats are in some measure just that:
threats that will not materialize. It would be interpreted as a sign of
weakness in the Arab world if Israel were to back off on intended actions
because of such threats.
Khaled Abu Toameh, writing in the JPost this
week, tells us that there is apathy amongst the Palestinian Arabs, who are
refusing to heed the call of the PA and Fatah to go out in the streets in large
numbers, “much to the dismay of senior PA and Fatah officials.” There are a
host of reasons why this is so, primary among them a lack of confidence in PA leadership.
Abu Toameh cites Palestinian political analyst
Marwan Ezzadin, who said he does not believe that the Palestinians are prepared
for another Intifada. “The Palestinian Authority and Fatah are making a big
effort to send thousands of people to the streets to protest the annexation
plan. We may see large demonstrations in the coming days, but neither the
Palestinian Authority nor Fatah want an all-out confrontation with Israel. They
know that a new Intifada would have catastrophic consequences on the
Palestinians.” (Emphasis added)
And so, it is extremely unlikely that Judea
& Samaria will go up in flames if sovereignty is applied.
~~~~~~~~~~
What particularly distresses me is the fact
that the onus in this situation is put on Israel: Don’t do it, it will be your
fault if there is violence.
There is no groundswell of verbal and written
protest among analysts and commentators deploring the fact that the PA – which
has had ample opportunity to establish a state – “negotiates” by promoting
violence. It’s as if this is a given, and it’s up to Israel to defuse the
situation.
~~~~~~~~~~
Yet in spite of this, it was something else
that was the last straw for me:
When Boris Johnson was elected British prime
minister, he sounded like a fairly good guy with regard to Israel. There were a
few provisos that perhaps rang bells, but all in all his approach seemed
reasonably positive.
That is, until the issue of Israeli application
of sovereignty was raised, at which point he declared:
“I believe that what is proposed by Israel
would amount to a breach of international law
and we strongly object to it, and we believe profoundly in a two-state solution
and will continue to make that case.” (Emphasis added)
Come again? A breach of international law? This
from the prime minister of Britain?
Look, I get it that Britain has a large and
volatile Muslim population, and Johnson might feel obligated to pump for a
Palestinian state. He might, for example, have spoken in vague terms about
Palestinian Arab longing for national independence (a crock, a carefully
constructed myth, yet one that might have served his purpose).
But for him, of all leaders, to make this
charge is over the top.
I wanted to say to him (forgive the modest
lapse in professional language): “Are you totally a dimwit, or just pretending
to be one?” Does he truly lack knowledge of his nation’s history going back a
hundred years?”
What I allude to, of course, is the fact that
Britain was the mandatory power for Palestine – accorded this role by a
unanimous vote of the League of Nations in 1922, following the earlier decision
of the San Remo Conference.
As mandatory power, Britain was charged with
establishing a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine, “facilitating
Jewish immigration” and “encouraging…close settlement by Jews on the land.”
And that, my friends, truly was an article of
international law.
What is more, Winston Churchill, British
Secretary of State for the Colonies at this time, observed:
“…in order that this community should have the
best prospect of free development and provide a full opportunity for the Jewish
people to display its capacities, it is essential that it should know that it
is in Palestine as of right and not on sufferance. That is the reason why it is
necessary that the existence of a Jewish National Home in Palestine should be
internationally guaranteed and that it should be formally recognized to rest
upon ancient historic connection.”
Britain subsequently failed to honor its
responsibility as the mandatory power because of pressure from the Arabs.
But how dare the current British prime minister
suggest that Israeli plans to establish sovereignty in part of Mandate land
would breach international law.
~~~~~~~~~~
This exemplifies a disregard for history and
law that is at the core of the current deplorable state of matters in the
international community.
There is no such thing as truth, only
subjectivity.
But we must not let this pass. We cannot let it
stand, that a nation such as Israel should be consistently “dissed” by the
international community. The distortions of truth with regard to the Middle
East that are rife today favor the deplorable Palestinian Authority.
~~~~~~~~~~
And so?
Prime Minister Netanyahu must stand tall and
proud in the face of all of this: cognizant of what Israel is and what our
rights are. He must not back down in the face of threats
– from the EU, the UN, Jordan, or others. Rather, he must make his decision on
how to move forward based on what is right for Israel.
Those who love Israel must raise their voices
at every juncture – challenging the lies and putting forth the truth, which the
world is reluctant to hear. Please, familiarize yourself with the information
on Israel’s rights. Become
conversant with the Mandate; understand why the so-called “partition plan” of
1947 is null and void; invoke Uti Possidetis Juris, a little known principle of
international common law.
Make Israel’s case then, in letters, talk-backs
and op-eds. Challenge misrepresentations of fact. Raise the issue with your
elected national officials and with your family, friends and acquaintances. In
the end, they may not listen, but it is important that you not remain silent.
To be silent is to acquiesce or admit defeat on the issue.
As always, share this with others in every
venue.
